Petition · past parliament
Limit the tenure of any speaker of the House of Commons to a maximum of 7 years
Closed
508 signatures
What the petition asks
This key role in the House of Commons can impact hugely on UK democracy. Speakers are re-elected after a general election. However as the UK now has 5 year fixed term parliaments, there are fewer opportunities to change the speaker, hence the need to limit tenure to a maximum of 7 years.
While a speaker can face a formal challenge immediately after a general election, traditionally sitting speakers are not challenged. Once in post there are few legal mechanisms for his/her removal other than trying to persuade him/her to resign. Until such time as Parliament devises new ways to ensure the Speaker's role is held accountable, it is important that we limit the tenure of this role.
Timeline
| 18 Apr 2019 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 18 Oct 2019 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
508
Status
Closed
Opened
18 Apr 2019
Closed
18 Oct 2019
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.